Improvement in torpedoes for oil-wells



HERVEY.

provement. In Tol pedoes for Oil-Wells &.c

Patented Jill 16, 1872 i. 5. fix m T' ff" .129 t99FTmpedo for 0iLJ eEts.-Juux F. Hunvmv, Mariana, 10.

The object of this iuvenoib: Lu pro Vida or combine win; a, I tar ado for oil-wells a, convnuieL m am; of tampiug the clmlgu, am consists in the means reform \to in the claim. Claim-A torpedo pro yidod v.

SAC-k adapted to retain sand or earth and prevent its duscuut beml the sun] FB-l. or earth at the same permit (7, nt a'zn with the sides ot' the well, sub- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE JOHN F. HERVEY, OF MARIETTA, OHIO.

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,409, dated July 16, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. F. HERVEY, of Marietta, in the county of Washington'and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Torpedo for Oil-Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its main object the employment of sand or other similar material as a tamping for torpedoes, arranged for explosion in oil-wells and consists in so constructing the torpedo that the sand or other similar material may be retained above it and in immediate contact with it without permitting the said sand or earth to descend below it, while at the same time the sand or earth bears directly against the sides of the well, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a central elevation Fig. 2, an elevation partially in section; and Fig. 3, a plan view.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe fully its construction and operation.

A represents the shell of the torpedo, which is provided with the ballast-chamber a and powder-chamber b, the top of chamber b being closed by the plate 0, as shown. The ballastchamber is provided with a suitable opening, a, for the introduction of the ballast, but access to the powder-chamberis obtained through a small opening, 0, (Fig. 3,) in the plate, which opening is provided with a screw-plug. The plate 0 is further provided with an extension below, in which is formed the primingchamber 0 to which extension is attached the chamberiD,--haying the tube d extending through the plate {3 and closed with a screwplug, as shown. The priming-chamber is provided with a ball or plug, which, when igplace, closes its lower end. The plate 0 is, more over, provided above with an ear, 0, and also with an extension, 0 to which latter is connected the tube E, as shown. Frepresents a cup constructed of leather or other suitable elastic or flexible material, which cup is secured to the plate 0 by means of a ring, G, and bolts, as shown. H represents a fuse-cap, which is attached to the upper end of the tube E, as

shown. It is provided with orifices h k ih former of which leads into the tube E. Th latter is designed to permit the passage of th supporting-cord m, the lower end of whie latter is attached to the ear 0 in the plate The manner of charging the torpedo is :1 follows: The tube E is filled with powder, th fuse-cap being removed, and so also is th priming-chamber 0 The fuse-cap is then 1( placed with a water-proof friction-fuse. Th chamber b is then filled through the opening with powder or other explosive material, th opening being afterward secured by a screw plug. The chamber D mayt an be filled wit] nitroglycerine (if nitro gl cerine is used through the tube d, the openi 1g of which alsi is afterward secured with a s :rew-plug. 'lln ballast-chamber is then suitably loaded wit] ballast through its opening.

The method of firing the torpedo is as fol lows: A supporting-cord, m, is attached a one end to the car 0 and carried up tln'ougl the orifice k in the fuse-cap H, as shown. 15; means of this cord the torpedo is lowered t1 its place and supported in position. a repre sents a fuse-cord, one end of which is fastener into the loop h of the fuse-cap. This cord i: at the same time connected by a weaker cord n, to the arm of the fuse-cap in such mannci that when a gentle strain is exerted upon thr fuse-cordit will be borne by the cord leading to the arm of the fuse-cap, and not by thm portion leading to the wire-loop. \Vhen it is desired to explode the charge the fuse-cord 1. is pulled violently, and the weaker cord at giving way, the pull is communicated directly to the loop W, and the movement of the latte] ignites the fuse by friction. The powder ii: the tube being ignited, fire is communicated to the priming-chamber, by which means its plug is violently driven into the nitro-g1 ycerine and the latter exploded, and also, of course, the powder in chamber I). If desired, the torpedo may be exploded by omitting the fusecord, wire-loop, and friction-fuse, and by sub stituting instead thereof a percussion-cap, which can be exploded by permitting aweiglit to slide down the supporting-cord; or a needle could be placed in the fuse-cap and cause the explosion by being struck by a sliding weight in a similar manner. Electricity may be employed by dispensing with the tube E and its btachments, and by introducing the wire of re battery into the primingchamber 0 through water-tight plug screwed into the nipple iimble of tube E in the plate 0.

The method of tampin g preferably employed ith this torpedo is as follows: To the plate attach the cup F, before described, in such anner that its upper edge and sides shall ress against the walls of the well and prevent LIN]. from passing below it. After the appattus has been lowered into the well and is aady to be exploded, then fill the cup F and 1e space above the same with sand to the reuired depth, in proportion to the strength of re charge, but not high enough to comeabove 1e fuse-cap H. If desired, instead of cup F, sack of suitable material and dimensions (as lOWIl in drawing) may be attached to the late L, which sack must be filled with sand nd lowered with the torpedo. In this method E tamping the idea is to obtain immediately bove the torpedo a solid resisting medium, hich shall be in immediate contact with the 'alls of the well.

I am aware that solid material has been in: losed in the casing of a torpedo, but when .ius employed the result obtained by my iethod is not produced, because the packing ees mteomcinto immediate contact with the sides of the well, and hcnce,when the explosion takes place, it does not resist properly the force of the explosion, but is blown upward in the well like the shot from a cannon. I am also aware that sand has been employed to tamp charges of powder in dry blasts, but I am not aware that it has been employed before my invention in connection with a torpedo provided with means for preventing its descent below it, while it is permitted to rest in immediate contact with its top and with the walls of the well, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A torpedo provided with an elastic or flexible cup or sack adapted to retain sand or earth and prevent its descent below it in the well, and permit the said sand or earth at the same time to rest in immediate contact with the sides of the well, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 27th day of March, 1872.

- J. F. HERVEY.

Witnesses G. 0. WARNER, GEORGE IRISH. 

